GLOBIS

GLObal change and Biodiversity In Soils

Co-ordinator : V. Wolters

GLOBIS (GLObal change and Biodiversity In Soils) is an investigation of present and foreseen effects of global climatic change on the biodiversity in forest soils and how such changes will affect ecosystem processes (decomposition; C and N pools and fluxes). Species diversity, functional diversity and trophic connectivity of the animal and microbial communities will be considered. The project will utilize the natural environmental variation by carrying out studies along 2 European transects, covering major gradients of temperature, moisture, deposition and management practices. By choosing sites, which have been and are still intensely used for studies on ecosystem function, GLOBIS aims at forming 'diversity links' to as well as between interdisciplinary European research projects (VAMOS, CORE, NIPHYS). This strategy will be combined with both field experiments, where relevant environmental conditions are controlled, and manipulation experiments in the laboratory to evaluate the importance of different factors. GLOBIS focuses on soil organisms, because these properties have been neglected in earlier studies.

The general objectives are:

• To understand how decomposer communities will change under future constraints by studying the direct, indirect, cumulative and feedback effect of climate change and the related alteration of organic matter quality on biodiversity in forest soils.
• To identify and quantify the significance of biological diversity for ecosystem function (decomposition, C and N pools and fluxes) and how this will be altered under global change.
• To link this knowledge with projects dealing specifically with decomposition processes and ecosystem function (VAMOS, DECO, CORE, NIPHYS, MEDALUS II).
• To make the GLOBIS data on biodiversity available for modeling activities by using the same techniques as and by adapting to the time schedule of the other research projects.

contact :

Volkmar Wolters
Justus Liebig University,
Institute of Zoology
Stephanstrasse 24,
D-35390 Giessen,
Germany
Tel + 49 641 99 35620 / 35621
Fax + 49 641 99 35629
Volkmar.Wolters@allzool.bio.uni-giessen.de

web site :